Winter 2008

Deval Patrick's first year brings some hard lessons

As a candidate, Deval Patrick was highlysuccessful without “listening to the experts.”AP Photo/Chitose Suzuki. On a Friday afternoon in early November 2006, I went to the office of Michael Dukakis, deep in the political science warren at Northeastern University, to talk about the job he held for 12 years, longer than anyone before or since,(...)

as a candidate for governor, Deval Patrick sounded a cautionary note about the perennial calls to bring casino gambling to Massachusetts. While not morally opposed to slot machines or blackjack tables, Patrick said, he was concerned about the social costs of expanded gambling, as well as its possible threat to the Massachusetts Lottery. In April(...)

Nine black students, protected by the 101st AirborneDivision of the US Army, began classes at the all-whiteLittle Rock Central High School in 1957.Photo by UPI/LANDOV. as new england prepared to cheer on the Boston Red Sox starting nine at Fenway Park in late October, another starting nine basked in their own standing “O” a few(...)

jerry from mattapan never knew what hit him. It’s a Monday evening in late October, and the journalist Sally Bedell Smith is a guest on NightSide with Dan Rea, on WBZ-AM (1030). For the past half-hour Rea has been interviewing Smith about her new book on Bill and Hillary Clinton, For Love of Politics. Now(...)

UPDATE: Get town-level data on average property-tax bills for single-family households in 2000 and 2009 as an Excel spreadsheet or PDF. Note that the state’s Division of Local services does not calculate property-tax averages for communities granting residential exemptions, including Boston. property tax relief may be the Holy Grail of Massachusetts politics (it’s even touted as(...)

HISTORIC HANGAR AS THE NEW WALDEN POND? Ah, the civilized village of Concord. Home of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Louisa May Alcott, and historic landmarks like the Old North Bridge, Walden Pond, and… Hangar 24? Yes, Concord town meeting voters recently won a skirmish with Massport without firing a shot. They added the decrepit (but, they(...)

ever meet a guy from Blubber Hollow? What about a chick from Podunk? If someone told you they were from Honey Pot or Fiddler’s Green, would you know what they were talking about? These places really exist, as part of Salem, Brookfield, Norfolk, and Bolton, according to the Secretary of State’s office. There are 1,828(...)

Jon Keller blames liberal Baby Boomers for all the woes of our Bluest State

mushy-middle political columnists often despair over the “blame game” that has supposedly poisoned American politics. And when a questionable use of taxpayer money appears on the front page of the Boston Herald, the parties caught red-handed often complain about nickel-and-dime stories getting so much attention when there are so many larger political issues to worry(...)

you would think that Massachusetts, a leader in many cutting-edge economic sectors, would have a comprehensive overall strategy to ensure that it has a competitive edge in the global economy. Unfortunately, the Commonwealth does not have such a plan. As a result, we are beginning to fall behind other states in the race to secure(...)

residents of massachusetts do not need to be reminded just how expensive construction can be. Now practically as famous as the Freedom Trail or the Red Sox, the Big Dig has come to represent everything good and bad about the Bay State. Once estimated to cost $2.2 billion, the tunnel and highway project cost more(...)